One of my most precious memories as a young child – all of 8 or 9 years old – is a film watching experience!
‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ was originally written as a children’s novel by Ian Fleming in 1964. He was also known for penning ‘James Bond’ – the famous spy series! Such was the popularity of the book, as they say, that it made one of the best Christmas presents of those years!
Fleming’s book was beautifully adapted into a children’s musical film of the same quirky name in 1968 by Albert (a.k.a. Cubby) R. Broccoli who was also associated as producer of the spy series.
As a tribute to Fleming’s death anniversary on the 12th of August, I write this to express how deeply his ideas have impacted my life, not just my childhood!
What a hilarious film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang indeed was! I recall the curiosity with which I watched it then! That was also the era of video cassettes! I keenly looked forward to cassettes being hired to compliment the in-thing then – VCRs!
Unlike one flick of a button taking us from one OTT platform to the other in seconds in the present day, waiting to watch this delightful entertainer of a film on a VCR had me impatient and fidgety like a kid in a candy store!
Looking back, that run up to stepping into the world of fantasy had a unique charm of its own, alas lost to technology today!
Back to charms of the film itself – no sooner that the film played, I found myself lost in the magical world of a flying and floating motor car. It was only in watching the film that the secret behind its title got truly revealed!
Much to suit a child’s limited vocabulary, ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ was a playful metaphor for the unusual sounds of the car’s engine as if it were speaking to the humans riding in it!
[A guided flight of fantasy can shape your life!]
The fascination went deeper upon seeing this ‘invention’ of a struggling village scientist, played fittingly by Dick Van Dyke, and a single widower father trying his best to simply offer a fun filled and happy childhood to his tiny twins!
I carry similar curiosity to the present day when the film shows on an LED screen now! I’m still glued to the sight of pleasing scenery, colourful candies, eclectic dances and enthusiastic music! However, the fantastical film holds value far beyond entertainment for me now!
A perfect film for me as a child turned out to be the perfect film for me as an adult facing challenges from time to time, as well!
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has given me learnings that I’m truly grateful for:
1. It reminds me that life has several twists and turns and not everything or hardly anything may go as planned. The key is to be adaptable and be in the moment while being clear of what you want! ⭑
2. It mirrors back that no amount of complain, blame and excuses take life forward. Instead, it drills in that a high sense of self-awareness and hard work make the right fuel to find a solution to life’s pain points. 
3. It motivates me because of the never-say-die attitude of the struggling scientist and his funny ways to overcoming the hick ups on the way to getting his invention to the market because his WHY (sense of purpose) is very big! 
4. It brings up a sense of bonhomie in me because of the unity and togetherness that the family shows in sticking by each other in times of distress – even the little children. Such values are indeed priceless as evidenced in the story by a young single baroness falling in love with the scientist despite the difference in their financial and social status! Values bond! 
5. It shows that time and time again happiness is incorrectly associated with more material wealth or money alone. A life lived simply, with dignity and with the strength of relationships is far better than suffering in silence in a mansion! 
6. It surfaces clearly that we have the power to alter our limiting beliefs into empowering stories and that we can indeed set ourselves big goals and achieve them, if only we believe in ourselves! 
7. It also shows that persistence pays! It is very easy to feel dejected quickly, discouraged by failure and never try again – be it in health, career or in relationships. But if we value ourselves enough, we must build our energies and our resilience to keep trying for whatever works for us best! 
8. Besides, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang makes me laugh throughout but also doesn’t fail to surprise me each time that life is indeed beautiful! It’s the colour of the glasses we wear that keeps changing what we view life as! 
[Take 100% responsibility of your life!]
The film’s impact on me continues to be deep and meaningful and that’s the everlasting nature of the story – relevant at all times because it reflects life in its various shades! 
Why not have a good laugh, connect with meaningful fantasies that guide us to live a life using our full potential and create our own magic?! 
Thank you Ian Fleming for lending life lessons beyond text books!
Sources:
§ Picture 1: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/chitty-chitty-bang-bang-50-anniversary-dick-van-dyke-a8680251.html
§ Picture 2: Danilo D’Agostino on Unsplash.
